Eternity Pillars of Eternity + The White March Expansion Thread

[Roguey]

Brennecke (or was it Adler?) said group stealth was something they did as a time-saving measure, not because they wanted it, and they'd make it individual post-release.

 

[Rivmusique]

Even still, the way that stealth is handled is changing. In 'Pillars,' the party's stealth status was all or nothing, and at first detection, all party members and most AI enemies were drawn into battle. With the expansion, stealth will be handled on a per party member basis, and that means that players can exercise a much larger degree of tactical ability prior to combat, positioning their party members in a way to exploit detection. This may sound too powerful, especially for those players willing to infiltrate and backstab enemy positions, but there is a catch. Enemies will also behave in manner more attune to individual stealth settings.

So is this saying that once combat starts, every party member won't immediately drop stealth and enter combat mode? I initially understood individual stealth to mean we could enter scouting mode with one character now and thought "so what?", but that actually sounds useful.

 

[ArchAngel]

I hope this means Rogues can actually use Backstab lol, individual stealth mean shit I still cannot get close enough to use Backstab.

 

[Excidium II]

Maybe use a ranged or reach weapon

 

[Sabin Rene Figaro]

Rogues are already crazy powerful in Pillars of Eternity as is

 

[Excidium II]

they're crazy one-dimensional, all you do is stack modals and passives

 

[ArchAngel]

Maybe use a ranged or reach weapon

I have been doing that in my 1st play, but I want a proper backstab rogue like in IE games.

 

[Excidium II]

Then you are screwed, melee range is for tanks in this game

 

[DeepOcean]

Maybe use a ranged or reach weapon

I have been doing that in my 1st play, but I want a proper backstab rogue like in IE games.

What stupid... that's not balanced, everyone knows a rogue is shitty fighter with bigger DPS that needs a tank to pull all the aggro, LOL, newb.

 

[Infinitron]

Theoretically, if you could guarantee with high probability an interrupt on backstab (or shortly after it, I guess) so as not to get engaged and destroyed, you might be able to pull off something like a classic backstabbing AD&D Thief.

Or use your Escape and Invisibility abilities

 

[Irenaeus II]

A backstabber needs a fighter or two distracted the enemy. Never played a melee rogue, but isn't there any anti-disengagement abilities for the class? Otherwise... Only range rogues are useful indeed.

I was never a fan of rogues as they became since 3ed, I like old D&D thieves. They were mediocre fighters anyway, only useful for support and skills.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Brennecke (or was it Adler?) said group stealth was something they did as a time-saving measure, not because they wanted it, and they'd make it individual post-release.

And I remember showing his quote to some of the enraged monkeys defending group stealth, but I may be wrong.

 

[Infinitron]

I actually called out Sawyer himself on the Obsidian forums for failing to achieve parity with the IEs there. He got a little upset at me, I guess it was a sore spot. All's well that ends well though.

 

[Irenaeus II]

אָמֵן

 

[Immortal]

I actually called out Sawyer himself on the Obsidian forums for failing to achieve parity with the IEs there. He got a little upset at me, I guess it was a sore spot. All's well that ends well though.

Link? Quote? All Cucking aside - your usually really good with references.

 

[Infinitron]

I actually called out Sawyer himself on the Obsidian forums for failing to achieve parity with the IEs there. He got a little upset at me, I guess it was a sore spot. All's well that ends well though.

Link? Quote? All Cucking aside - your usually really good with references.

Uh, here we go: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...-go-to-new-thread.93694/page-147#post-3480054

 

[Immortal]

I actually called out Sawyer himself on the Obsidian forums for failing to achieve parity with the IEs there. He got a little upset at me, I guess it was a sore spot. All's well that ends well though.

Link? Quote? All Cucking aside - your usually really good with references.

Uh, here we go: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...-go-to-new-thread.93694/page-147#post-3480054

OH man this is great - how did I miss this.

 

[Infinitron]

I actually called out Sawyer himself on the Obsidian forums for failing to achieve parity with the IEs there. He got a little upset at me, I guess it was a sore spot. All's well that ends well though.

Link? Quote? All Cucking aside - your usually really good with references.

Uh, here we go: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...-go-to-new-thread.93694/page-147#post-3480054

OH man this is great - how did I miss this.

Well, you only registered on the Codex two days later.

Also, SuicideBunny posts

 

[Immortal]

Also, SuicideBunny posts

 

[ArchAngel]

A backstabber needs a fighter or two distracted the enemy. Never played a melee rogue, but isn't there any anti-disengagement abilities for the class? Otherwise... Only range rogues are useful indeed.

I was never a fan of rogues as they became since 3ed, I like old D&D thieves. They were mediocre fighters anyway, only useful for support and skills.

That is not a backstabber but a sneak attacker. Backstab says it needs to be done before combat starts and it needs to be done in melee range. The problem is that even with good stealth most enemies will notice you before you get to melee range and then most enemies are faster than your rogue, and even if not the guy you attacked will engage you and hit you while you retreat which will slow you down and others also engage you and your rogue dies.
It is like they went out of their way to kill IE rogues. The Backstab talent is just a trap pick there for Rogues which is hilarious when JES said he does not want the game to have trap picks :D :D

 

[Dorateen]

Backstabbing in the SSI Gold Box Games required a "stalking horse", another character to make a first attack on an enemy, and then the party's thief would execute the backstab.

Sounds like PoE, with its Icewind Dale-like expansion, is at least moving in the right direction.

 

[Infinitron]

Expansion announced to backers: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obsidian/project-eternity/posts/1274534

New Companions
The expansion will include two new companions: Zahua (the monk shown on the cover of the game and formally known as Forton) and the Devil of Caroc (a rogue). Here is a brief description from Eric and Carrie who are writing them.

Zahua
From Eric Fenstermaker:

Zahua comes from an agrarian people known as the Tacan that dwells in the Ixamitl (ih-SHAH-mitt -ull) Plains to the north. (You may have known him as Forton once, but we renamed him to reflect his region of origin.) He belongs to the Nalpazca, a strict order of warrior-monks that constitutes the Tacan's standing army.

The Nalpazca distinguish between the material world and the imagined world of perceptions, feelings, and false structures, seeing the latter as the limiting force that prevents a person's transcendence. They employ extreme practices to remain ever-conscious of what is truly real, and are known for exhibiting bizarre anti-social behavior in public settings, consuming powerful hallucinogenic drugs, and inflicting great pain upon themselves, all so as to allow themselves to "see more clearly." There are even rumored to ritualistically cannibalize the flesh of the recent dead so that they might come to terms with their own mortality, though such rumors have the ring of superstition.

Zahua is the greatest living practitioner of Nalpazca beliefs, and even as you meet him, he is in continual pursuit of their ideals, which he believes will transform him into an unbeatable combatant. Above all, he believes in suffering as the path to enlightenment, and nearly every inch of his body is covered in scars - mostly self-inflicted. While some might see that as a grim or depressing viewpoint, from Zahua's perspective, suffering is a thing of beauty, to be admired and revered, and he is often able to appreciate situations that would dishearten most others. (Perhaps with a little too much cheer for some people's taste.)

The player will meet and get to know Zahua as a party member in White March Part I, and then his vision quest will come into focus later, in Part II.

The Devil of Caroc
From Carrie Patel:

The Devil of Caroc is a bronze golem inhabited by the soul of a convicted murderer. She's ruthless and relentless, yet something about the player piques her interest when they first meet.

The Devil was once a trapper in Cold Morn, a village that became notorious for its role in the Saint's War. When she and her neighbors let the Readceran troops pass through town unopposed, they became a symbol of treachery and cowardice throughout Dyrwood. The Purges that swept the country began in Cold Morn, and everyone the Devil ever knew perished when an angry mob burned the village to the ground. The Devil survived and sought revenge on the men and women who set her home ablaze.

She's still a rustic at heart, but her crude manners belie cunning and a cynical sense of humor.

Update 2.0 New Features
The White March is also going to introduce a few new features and quality of life improvement options. These updates will be given to everyone, not just people who purchase the expansion. Adam created a video showing off some of these new features:

 

[Excidium II]

Damn the monk dude is p. cool.

 

[felipepepe]

I like all the improvements, but that AI might backfire, HARD. Because now you have a game that plays itself.

Eh, who am I fooling? Is gonna be praised cause now you can basically skip over the combat.

 

[Excidium II]

I like all the improvements, but that AI might backfire, HARD. Because now you have a game that plays itself.

Eh, who am I fooling? Is gonna be praised cause now you can basically skip over the combat.

Such overreaction. AI for player characters tend to be stupid as fuck anyway. Still p. lame they put those in but there's no words about improving the enemy AI.

The other changes are nice usability improvements.